Bottle refrigerator



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R. l. SOUTULLO. BOTTLE REFmGERAToR.

AIPLICATION FILED MAY I3, |922- rtrrvrftrf'r Reissued Oct. 31, 1922.

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Reissued Oct.` 31 1922.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RAYMOND JOHN SOUTULLO, 0F MQBILE, ALABAMA, .ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO K. C. WINTER, GORDON SMITH, W. D. BELLINGBATH, AND E. C. GRACE,

ALL 0F MOBILE, ALABAMA.

BOTTLE REFRIGEBATOR.

Original No. 1,390,934, dated September 13, 1921, serial'No. 378,324, nled Hay 1, 1920. Application for reislue tiled Hay 13, 1922. Serial No. 560,769.

To all whom it may concern.:

Be it known that I, RAYMOND Jo-HN SoU- rULLo, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mobile, county of Mobile, Alabama, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Bottle Refrigerators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved bottle container and refrigerator adapted for use in stores or homesto receive 1n a novel way, bottles cont-aining milk, soft drinks and the like, so that the same will be retained in a cool and sanitar condition with a minimum expenditure o ice and in such a manner -as to greatly facilitate the dispensing of the bottles containing the colder beverages, in addition to keeping the different flavors such as of soda water or other carbonated beverages or the like, separated, and thus obviating the necessity of leaning over; fumbling over the bottles and losing considerable time in the dispensing oper-ation.

A further object of the invention is to construct a bottle container and dispenser which is combined with a refrigerator for receiving vfood stuff whereby both ma be kept cool and fresh with the same re rigerating medium.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved means for receiving the bottles and necessitating the insertlon of a new one in order to remove a cold bottle, and means for removing all of the bottles and any broken glass 1n case one of the bottles should break, due to sudden contraction, said means also serving to prevent wear on the tubes or U-shaped compartments which are designed to receive the bottles in the use of the invention.

Other and further objects of my invention will become readily apparent from a consideration of the following description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved bottle container and refrigerator;

Fi re 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectiona view, taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse sectional vicw, taken on the line 3 3 of Figure 1; an

F igure 4 is a plan view of a modification. Referrlng to the drawings in detail there 1s shown an ice box or chest forming the recept-acle proper or housing consisting of spaced walls 10 and 13 having the outer wall 1() supported if desired on legs 11 so that the bottom 12 will be dis osed at a spaced distance from the Hoor. gVithin the outer wall 10 is the inner wall 13 forming an air space 14 between said walls to ex'- clude heat and ret-ain the box at a low temperature within, it being understood that the box is provided or may be provided with a cover of the usual or any preferred type. That is, the compartments 35 and 36 within the mner wall may be provided with a pair of removable covers 15 and with a surrounding wall or cover 16 formed of side and end pieces.

Arranged along opposite sides of the inner wall 13, prefera ly at the front and back, are a series of tubes or channels 17 preferably of U-shaped formation and of metal so as -to vslidably receive therein flexible bottom strips 18, either end of which is adapted to be bent in the form of a hook 19 so that should any. of the bottles 2O disposed on end therein be broken due to sudden contraction, they may be removed by removing the removable bottom or strip 18, the bent portion or hook 19 serving toengage and remove the broken glass. It will also be understood that the dierent flavors may be arranged in the different channels or different beverages may be kept therein in any suitable containers but that new or warm bottles must be inserted and pressed into position in order to remove the cold bottles, so that the tubes orchannels will always be filled. These tubes may be of circular, rectangular, or other cross section.

Disposed within the inner wall 13 of the refrigerator is a hollow shell 21 containing a refrigerating fluid 31, and forming the inner and outer walls of the tubes -or channels 17, while the partition strips 40, Figures 1 and 2, form the side walls thereof. And disposed Within the inner wall of thin hollow shell 21 is a space divided by the partitions 26 and 27 into a provision compartment 35 and an ice compartment 36. As shown, a supporting tray 22 for the ice isy also provided near the bottom of this compartment space, and it forms a water compartment 2 5 for the reception of the drip. A valved drain 23, and an overflow pipe 24 is provided for the compartment 25. t thus results thatthe ice in the compartment 36 the dri water in the compartment 25 and the re rigerating liquid in the hollow shell 21 each serve to cool the rovisions in the compartment 35 and the bottles in the channels 17. The compartment 36 extends underneath the compartment 35 as shown so that a maximum storage space as well as a maximum cooling efficiency is secured.

Ordinarily breakage ofthe bottles will not occur, but might happen. by reason of some inherent defect in the bottles though this breakage may be lessened b submerging or partially floating the bott es in water, or like cooling liquid dis osed in the tubes or channels 17, or aroun the tubes 45, in the form of the invention shown in Figure 4 of the drawings That is to say, this cooling fluid will cause the bottles or containers, and

their contents to be buoyed up; and it will' Vlessen the friction and render it easier to put in warm bottles in order to remove the cold ones, thus facilitating the charging and discharging of the tubes or channels 17.

It will now be clear that the channels or pushing the bottom end of a preceding bottle,

until each channel or tube'is filled with bottles surrounded by the liquid 31. It will also be apparent that the first bottle 30 of the curved row of bottles thus formed will be placed in an upright position, so its neck can be readily grasped by the dispensers hand, and that the last bottle 32 of said curved row of bottles also stands with its axis vertical but with its bottom4 uppermost.

In other words, it is apparent that the dispenser when he desires a cold bottle may face the side of the refrigerator box, and with one hand force a warm bottle neck down into one end of a tube or channel 17; and owing to the bottles in said tube being buoyed up or floated by the cooling fluid 31, he will readily and with a minimum of friction force upwardly the first and coldest bottle, 30, of the curved row of bottles, which can be grasped by the neck with his other hand and withdrawn.

It will also be clear that the chamber 36 and the i therein constitutes a refrigerating means for the entire apparatus, while lone or more of the U-shaped channels or tubes 17 and the refrigerating liquid 31 therein constitutes means to further cool and buoy up curved rows of bottles placed end to end in said channels. lt will further be clear that the employment in a cold liquid of a curved` row of bottles so disposed that the mouth portion of a succeeding bottle presses against the bottom of a preceding bottle, insures that the dispenser will always et the coldest bottle he has on hand, an as it insures the placing' of a warm bottle in the curved channel to take the place of the one removed, the dispenser will not forget to keep afsupply of cold bottles for future customers. It therefore results that this relation of parts constitutes a combined bottle refrigerating and dispensing means.

In view of the foregoing, it is thought that the operation of the device will be readily understood, and in view of the simplicit and practical value that it will readi y commend itself to those skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. A combined bottle container and refrigcross section and forming an inner provlsion chamber and ice com artment, said shell having a series of u rig t U-shaped channels disposed side by si e.

2. A combined bottle container and refrigeratorcomprising a'receptacle roper having a shell therein, of substantial y U-shaped cross section and forming an inner provision chamber and ice compartment, said shell having a series of upright U-shaped tubes adaptedto contain and retain a refrigerating fluid therein and receive the bottles therein end to end and closures for the upper ends of the tubes.

3. A bottle refrigerator comprising a receptacle provided with a refrigerating compartment, a series of U-shaped tubes within said receptacle and adapted toreceive and dispense separate series of bottles end to end in counterbalancing relation.

4. A refrigerator for bottled beverages or the like comprising a receptacle provided with refrigerating means, a series of U- shaped tubes within said receptacle and adapted to receive separate series of bottles therein end to end in.counterba1ancing relation, and removable bottom liner portions for-said tubes adapted to engage and remove the contents of the tubes when removed therefrom.

5. A refrigerator comprising a receptacle having spaced walls suitably supported, aU- shaped 'shell within the walls and forming an inner compartment, said shell being divided into a series of channels, a drain tray supported within the inner compartment and adapted tosupport ice thereon, a. drain for vertically0 dispose f whereby said-'compartmen .a partition within the -compartment above the drain tray and having a vertical portion dividing the same from the ice chamber, and closures for said compartments.

6. Av refri erator of the class described having a U-s aped water tight casin open at its top and horizontally positioned t erein with its legportions turned upwardly, and said casing provided with a plurality of partitions formin U-shaped passages with leg portions adapted to receive ttles placed end lto end, substantially as described. f

7. In a bottle refrigerator, the combination of a housing rece tacle; a U-shaped channel in said receptac e havin vertically disposed leg portions forming in et and outlet openings for the bottles and adapted to contain a heat conducting fluid capable through its buoyancy of facilitating the discharge of said bottles; and means for holding a refri rant in heat interchanging relation to said channel. A

8. A refrigerating container for bottled goods and the like, comprising a receptacle a-ving substantiall U-shaped channels open at their upper en s and curved bight portions, and means for removin the contents of the channels, saidmeans being withdrawable through the channels.

9. A refrigerator for bottles and beverages or the like comprising a receptacle provided with means for holding a refrigerant, and an upright U-shaped shell having tubes adapted to receive the bottles therein end to end and one bottle will beforced out or projected from one end for removal upon the application of an additional one at the opposite end.

10. A refri rator com rising a receptacle havin s acedgia'alls suita ly supported, a U- shape s ell 'within the walls and forming an inner compartment` said shell being divided into a series of channels disposed side by side and closures for said compartment and the top of the refrigerator, said closures having openings above the ends of the channels. v

11. In a bottle refrigerator, the combination of a U-shaped means having vertically positioned open ended leg portions adapted to receive and hold a buoyant liquid and a plurality of bottles disposed in a curved row, and means for holding a refrigerant located between said vertically positioned leg portions, substantially as described.

12. In a bottle refrigerator, the combina-` tion of means to hold a curved row of bottles placed end to end comprising an upright and substantially U-shaped open ended channel adapted to hold said bottles as well as a heat conducting liquid in each of its i legs; and means for holdin a refri rant located between said legs, su stantia ly as described.

13. In a bottle refrigerator, the combination of a refrigerating chamber adapted t0 contain refrigerating means; and a plurality V'of curved substantially U-'sha means located outside said chamber havi vertically positioned leg portions adaptld to receive a liquid as well as a plurality of bottles of different kinds of beverages disposed in curved rows, substantially as described.

14. A bottle refrigerator comprising a compartment for the refrigerating medium and an upright bottle receiving channel sub.- stantially U-shaped in form with vertically positioned leg portions and whose body rtion is adapted to normally contain a eat conducting buoyed up by said uid, and said compartment bein located in a heat interchang'ing relation with the walls of said channel, substantially as described.

15. In a bottleaefrigerator the combination of a refrigerating chamber and asubstantially U-shaped channel member located outside said chamber having vertically positioned leg members each of which is n rmally adapted to receive a vertically posed Jbottle as well as a heat extracting iqpidcapable of buoying up said bottles,

1 stantially as descri ed.

16. In a bottle refrigerator the combination of a refrigeratin chamber and a U- shaped means 'adaptef to receive a curved row of bottles and also posed on two vertical sides and across said chamber, substantially as described.

17. A bottle cooler comprising a curved substantially U-shaped means provided with a pair/of vertically dis sed leg portions adapted to hold a plura ity of bottles disposed end to end, and containing a quantity of liquid suiiicient to lessen the friction of said bottles when pushed therethrough, substantially as described.

18. A bottle cooler comprising a substantially U-shaped open ended bottle holder provided with verticallymdisposed leg portions v adapted to conta-in ttles disposed end to end and associated with a quantity of liquid sutlicient to buoy up said bottles andlessen the friction engendered by the same when pushed through said holder, substantially as described: A

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, at Mobile, 9th da of May, 1922.

'AYMOND JOHN SOUTULLO.

fluid and a plurality of bottles a fluid to buoy up' vsaid bottles, sai'd U-shaped means being dis- State of Alabama this ioo 

